Currently, chemicals used for various industries and for various purposes, including, but not limited to, the cleaning industry and chemicals and cleaners used as cleaning agents are harmful to the environment if such chemicals are directly released into the environment. In recent times, there has been a huge movement for chemicals, such as cleaners, to be reformulated in order to meet certain standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the EPA's Safer Choice Standards.
Green Chemistry has also emerged with its push to inspire chemists, engineers, and other professionals to create and design various chemicals and products, including, but not limited to, cleaning solutions, to avoid the creation of toxics and waste. The use of earth-friendly products has also been stressed along with a push to create alternatives to hazardous substances that have historically been used as source materials to many chemical products. Additionally, there are various restrictions and regulations in existence that govern what types of chemical products, such as cleaning solutions, surfactants, solvents, etc., can be utilized and contained in direct release products that are designed for and intended for use in applications that result in the immediate release into the environment. With a direct release of various chemicals into the environment, these products bypass sewerage treatment and/or septic systems. Thus, it is important that such direct release products are environmentally friendly. Further, many regulations are in existence that govern and control these direct release products including, but not limited to, the EPA's Safer Choice Standards.
Many products used outdoors ultimately bypass sewerage treatment and/or septic systems and are thus considered direct release products. While such products are not always environmentally friendly, users unfortunately use these products as direct release products and simply disregard any rules and regulations concerning which products are actually approved for use as a direct release product and also disregard the consequences such products may have on the environment when used as a direct release product. In addition, many products utilized outdoors, such as cleaners, that are also used in a direct release manner do not meet the stringent safety and environmentally friendly standards in existence for such direct release products.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for safer direct release cleaning solutions and products that can be used outdoors as a direct release product that will meet the safe and environmentally friendly standards currently in existence by the EPA and other regulatory and governing bodies.